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Director General Directorate
Dr Pema Gyamtsho joined ICIMOD as its Director General in October 2020, becoming the first Director General from the Hindu Kush Himalaya region since ICIMOD’s establishment in 1983.
He brings more than three decades of experience in the Royal Government of Bhutan, with a career spanning natural resources management and planning; rural development; agriculture; forestry; livestock and food production; rangeland management; participatory approaches; research and extension; institutional development; climate change and environmental protection; biodiversity conservation; and organic farming.
From 1998 to 2002, Pema served as Deputy Secretary of Bhutan’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, overseeing policy and planning. From 2002 to 2006, he worked at ICIMOD, first leading policy and partnerships and later the centre’s regional rangeland management work. He then served as Deputy Resident Coordinator of Helvetas/Swiss Development Corporation from 2006 to 2007.
In 2008, Pema returned to the Royal Government of Bhutan as Minister of Agriculture and Forests, serving until 2013. As Minister, he provided national leadership across agriculture, livestock, forestry, and environment, overseeing more than 4,000 personnel. His leadership spanned both policymaking and grassroots development. He shaped and often led the enactment of more than 60 pieces of legislation, while also overseeing the formation of more than 400 farmers’ groups and cooperatives.
He also led Bhutan’s delegation to COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009, where he deposited Bhutan’s instrument reaffirming the country’s commitment to remain carbon neutral, making Bhutan one of the first countries to make such a declaration. From 2013 to 2020, Pema served as a Member of the National Assembly of Bhutan.
Pema holds an MSc in agriculture from Lincoln University, New Zealand, and a PhD in natural sciences from the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland.
Professional Appointments
Recent Recognitions
Short profile for introduction purposes
Pema Gyamtsho
How do you protect the pulse of the planet?
I see the HKH mountains as the fountains of life. Being the source of the headwaters of 10 major rivers, they provide livelihood for millions of people living both within and beyond the region. Facilitating our regional member countries to engage in cross-border actions to reduce the impact of climate change on the cryosphere and protecting the rich biological and cultural diversity of the region will be keys to protecting the ‘pulse of the planet.’ I will build on our past achievements in further pushing the case of the mountains as a unique ecosystem that require urgent attention on the global agenda.
What is your favorite part of the work you do at ICIMOD?
ICIMOD provides me with a platform to meet people from different nations and cultural backgrounds and a continuous opportunity to learn and enrich my knowledge on mountains and mountain peoples. Working with a highly diverse team of professionals from the region and beyond to develop and implement policies and plans that contribute to protecting the fragile mountain ecosystems and improve the well-being of the local communities gives me much excitement and satisfaction.
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about nature and people. ICIMOD offers me the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of nature and the bounty it provides to people. Likewise, it gives me opportunities to meet and interact with policy makers, scientists and development professionals and work with them to take care of our nature in ways that our future generations are not deprived of the rich cultural and biological heritage that the HKH region offers.
